A balanced and hearty meals is one of the many keys to successfully navigating college life. Whether it’s a quick afternoon snack or an after practice chow down consistently eating meals at breakfast, lunch and dinner can seem like an intimidating task. However, if you have one of Iowa State’s many meal options finding food on campus is an easy and convenient process.

Using a meal

When arriving on campus you have the option of purchasing several “meal plans”. Consisting of a set number of meals, as well as dining dollars in some plans, each plan will determine how many times a semester you may purchase a bundle from one of the many dining centers.

New to the 2017-2018 fall semester is the addition of unlimited meal options that do not limit students on how many times a meal may be used in a semester.

Dining Dollars

Functioning similarly to CyCash, dining dollars can be used at various cafes, convenience stores and vending machines to purchase items not available as an individual meal bundle.

This could include coffee, snacks, drink and meal sides.

The Options

Meal options are broken into two areas that offer different bundle combinations. Those who live within the Iowa State residence system will fall under the “required area” and have three meal options.

Those not in the residence system, within Wallace and Wilson, SUV, Fredrickson Court, Iowa State West, Legacy Tower and off campus are known as “voluntary areas”. Those within this area may pick any of the below plans as well as the silver and bronze plans.

Dining dollars may roll over into the following semester

Remaining meals will expire at semester’s end

Unused meals and dining dollars cannot be refunded

Gold Plan

Only non-unlimited meal plan option

200 meals / 35 Express Meals

$100 dining dollars

Cy Power Unlimited

Unlimited meals / 46 Express Meals

$200 dining dollars

Cyclone Unlimited

Unlimited meals / 35 Express Meals

No dining dollars

Silver (Voluntary Area Only)

225 meals

$200 dining dollars

Bronze (Voluntary Area Only)

125 meals

$125 dining dollars

Choosing a plan

As an incoming college student value is important when considering which meal plan to purchase upon arriving at Iowa State.

Giving the small $130 difference between the standard gold plan and the first unlimited option, Iowa State Dining Director Mohamed Ali see’s the Cyclone unlimited plan as the best overall value.

“With this plan you don’t have to worry about not getting snacks and go back whenever between 6:45 and 11 pm,” Ali said.”If you divide up the $130 over 16 weeks you’re paying just $8 to cover all your snacks for an entire week.”

By giving unlimited options Iowa State Dining hopes students will take advantage of building communities around food such as going as a hall to get frozen yogurt at night. As well as allowing small eaters the opportunity to consume more meals spread out across the day, while larger eatings can eat in large amounts day and night.

Healthy eating

Though misconceptions may say that eating healthy is difficult in a campus setting and on a college budget, ISU Dining is confident it’s not only possible but easy.

“It’s incredibly possible to eat healthy, everything in moderation and everything in balance,” said marketing coordinator for Iowa State dining and residence Brittany Rutherford.”With our fresh fruits and vegetables, if you tried to buy these ingredients separately at a store it would be expensive so we give you those options.”

With calories posted on all dining hall dishes and an area within the new Friley Windows dining hall dedicated to vegan cooking, students are free to pick and choose a variety of healthy dishes.